18th Symphony (Haydn)

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The Symphony in G major Hoboken directory I: 18 wrote Joseph Haydn to 1757/59. It is probably Haydn's Third Symphony. Contrary to the usual form, the work begins with the slow movement.

General

Joseph Haydn (painting by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, around 1770)

The Symphony Hoboken Directory I: 18 was composed by Joseph Haydn around 1757/59, probably as the third symphony in chronological order during his employment with Count Morzin.

The sequence of movements slow - fast - dance movement (minuet) is based on the late Baroque church sonata and is also represented among Haydn's symphonies in No. 5 , No. 11 , No. 21 , No. 22 , No. 34 and No. 49 . In contrast to the four-movement church sonata, the third position in these works is not a slow movement, but a minuet (Symphony No. 18 is only three movements in total). In accordance with the church sonata, however, all movements in the above-mentioned symphonies are kept in the same key and in symphony No. 18 (at the beginning of the first movement), as in church sonatas, approaches to polyphony can be found.

Howard Chandler Robbins Landon points out the similarities of the first and second movements of Symphony No. 18 to the corresponding movements of Symphonies No. 21 and No. 22. In particular, there are structural similarities between the beginning of the Allegro molto of No. 18 and the second movement of No. 21.

To the music

Instrumentation: two oboes , two horns , two violins , viola , cello , double bass . At that time, a bassoon was used to reinforce the bass voice, even without separate notation. On the participation of a harpsichord - continuos are competing views in Haydn's symphonies. Performance time: approx. 15 minutes (depending on compliance with the prescribed repetitions)

With the terms of the sonata form used here, it should be noted that this scheme was designed in the first half of the 19th century (see there) and can therefore only be transferred to a work composed around 1758 with restrictions. This is also evident in the first two movements of Symphony No. 18 from the fact that there is no development or recapitulation in the narrower sense. V. a. the Allegro molto corresponds even more to the two-part form, in which the second part of the sentence is viewed as a modified passage of the first ("exposition"). - The description and structure of the sentences given here is to be understood as a suggestion. Depending on the point of view, other delimitations and interpretations are also possible.

First movement: Andante moderato

G major, 2/4 time, 75 bars

Beginning of the Andante moderato

The five-bar main theme performed by the 2nd violin consists of a movement interrupted by pauses with ceremonially pathetic dotted rhythms (sometimes the impression can be felt as cocky to divertimento ) accompanied only by viola and bass in a striding eighth note movement. From bar 5, the theme is repeated a fifth higher with voice guidance in the 1st violin , with the 2nd violin now making imitative interjections. This beginning of the movement with its staggered use of the violins is reminiscent of the beginning of a baroque trio sonata. A similar structure can be found in the Adagio of Symphony No. 11. The further course of the movement, with its three levels, is at least partially linked to the trio sonata: the two violins, which often imitate each other and sometimes play in parallel, are supported by a bass foundation, the winds play a subordinate one Role.

Two passages with strong dynamic contrasts are striking: In bar 10 the first violin breaks twice fortissimo with a thirty-second figure into the surrounding pianissimo. Then the striding piano movement continues from the main theme as if nothing had happened. From bar 20, a further contrasting part sets in by emphasizing a figure with a falling interval jump with an accent. Again the walking movement follows piano, now both violins play in parallel.

The second part of the sentence begins like the first with the main theme, but now with reversed roles: The 1st violin has the voice leading first, when repeated a fifth lower, then the 2nd violin. This is followed by a further dynamic contrast similar to that in bar 10. From bar 45, the action with the stepping figure has calmed down again and an upward sequence of a motif begins . A clear beginning of the reprise cannot be defined; Haydn reaches the tonic in G major again in bar 50, but the material simply continues to develop without the theme being explicitly taken up at the beginning of the movement. The dynamic contrast area corresponding to bar 10 is omitted; instead, the contrast with accent corresponding to bar 20 is already reached in bar 57. Compared to the first part of the sentence, the final group is extended like a coda with its continuation of the striding movement and another forte piano contrast .

Antony Hodgson points out the opportunities for improvisation by an (assumed) harpsichord player associated with the pauses in the movement.

Second movement: Allegro molto

G major, 4/4 time, 83 bars

As was usually the case at the time, the movement is characterized more by the loose sequence of motifs and figures than by thematic work in the sense of the sonata movement (which later became established). The Allegro molto is characterized by torn motivic gestures, wide leaps in intervals and frequent two- and three-bar segments. On the basis of closing turns and short pauses, the “Exposition” is divided into four sections:

  • Section 1 (bars 1–12): The first “theme” consists of a chord strike by the entire orchestra followed by an ascending and descending staccato eighth figure of the parallel strings. This is followed by a horn fanfare, a question-and-answer figure and a short tremolo passage . The next twist, closing towards the dominant D major, leads to the first caesura (quarter pause) in the events that have been pushing forward so far.
  • Section 2 (bars 13-21) with its motif of chord strike and staccato figure similar to the first “theme”, then follows an ascending vocal line, a staccato motif of the 1st oboe and 1st violin and a closing turn with a trill.
  • Section 3 (bars 21–30) with dynamic piano-forte contrast, further eighth note movement in staccato, sometimes large interval jumps and a closing turn with trills.
  • Section 4 (bars 31–38) with a contrasting D minor motif (second “theme”) and the final turn of Forte, again with large leaps in intervals.

The second part of the sentence initially varies from section 1, but the tremolo passage is more extensive and in the minor key (bars 39–55). Section 3 then follows as a variant. In measure 62 the tonic in G major is reached again, which Haydn emphasizes with an extended horn fanfare. The tremolo passage with countermovement of the upper and lower voices leads to the shortened version of section 2. The movement ends as in the first part with section 4 and its two contrasting motifs.

“The exposition, with less prominent subjects, largely corresponds to the rule; the second part, which is only slightly longer with seven additional bars, begins with the theme in the dominant and then repeats the course of the exposition with only a few changes, so that the listener disregards the key development towards the dominant and takes into account that every part should be repeated, a total of four times the almost identical musical course is expected: a very unusual phenomenon even in Haydn's early days. "

Third movement: Tempo di Menuet

G major, 3/4 time, 101 bars

The movement is similar to a minuet, but the contrasting middle section is not expressly referred to as a “trio”; the repetition of the minuet section is written out without repetition and provided with a coda.

The main theme of the “leisurely” minuet begins - similar to the Allegro molto - as a tuttia chord and is characterized by the alternation of triplets and dotted rhythms (these are reminiscent of the “ceremonial tone of the Andante”). According to Howard Chandler Robbins Landon, the middle section is reminiscent of the middle section of the gavotte from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's ballet music for the opera Idomeneo . It contrasts with the key of G minor and the extensive restriction to strings in the piano. Several full-bar, accented sigh-like reserve notes (can be interpreted as an echo of the forte break-ins in the Andante) are striking, and in the second part there is also some chromaticism .

Individual references, comments

  1. ↑ Information page of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.
  2. ↑ a b c d Wolfgang Marggraf : Haydn's earliest symphonies (1759-1761). The symphonies of the "Sonata-da-chiesa" type. http://www.haydn-sinfonien.de/text/chapter2.2.html , accessed January 30, 2013.
  3. ^ Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn. Universal Edition & Rocklife, London 1955, p. 255.
  4. ↑ Examples: a) James Webster: On the Absence of Keyboard Continuo in Haydn's Symphonies. In: Early Music Volume 18 No. 4, 1990, pp. 599-608); b) Hartmut Haenchen : Haydn, Joseph: Haydn's orchestra and the harpsichord question in the early symphonies. Booklet text for the recordings of the early Haydn symphonies. , online (accessed June 26, 2019), to: H. Haenchen: Early Haydn Symphonies , Berlin Classics, 1988–1990, cassette with 18 symphonies; c) Jamie James: He'd Rather Fight Than Use Keyboard In His Haydn Series . In: New York Times , October 2, 1994 (accessed June 25, 2019; showing various positions by Roy Goodman , Christopher Hogwood , HC Robbins Landon and James Webster). Most orchestras with modern instruments currently (as of 2019) do not use a harpsichord continuo. Recordings with harpsichord continuo exist. a. by: Trevor Pinnock ( Sturm und Drang symphonies , archive, 1989/90); Nikolaus Harnoncourt (No. 6-8, Das Alte Werk, 1990); Sigiswald Kuijken (including Paris and London symphonies ; Virgin, 1988-1995); Roy Goodman (e.g. Nos. 1-25, 70-78; Hyperion, 2002).
  5. ↑ a b c d e Ludwig Finscher: Joseph Haydn and his time . Laaber-Verlag, Laaber 2000, p. 137, ISBN 3-921518-94-6 .
  6. ↑ a b c James Webster: Hob.I: 18 Symphony in G major. Information text on Symphony No. 18 of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.
  7. ^ A b Klaus Schweizer, Arnold Werner-Jensen: Reclams concert guide orchestral music. 16th edition. Philipp Reclam jun. Stuttgart, p. 125, ISBN 3-15-010434-3 .
  8. ^ Walter Lessing: The symphonies of Joseph Haydn, in addition: all masses. A series of broadcasts on Südwestfunk Baden-Baden 1987-89, published by Südwestfunk Baden-Baden in 3 volumes. Volume 1, Baden-Baden 1989, p. 71.
  9. ^ Antony Hodgson: The Music of Joseph Haydn. The Symphonies. The Tantivy Press, London 1976, ISBN 0-8386-1684-4 , pp. 51 to 52
  10. ↑ Hodgson particularly praises a recording with Charles Mackerras.
  11. ^ Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: Haydn: Chronicle and works. The early years 1732-1765. Thames and Hudson, London 1980, p. 286.

Web links, notes

See also